These ships are used for less voluminous cargos, even allowing for combining different cargos in different holds.
They usually have self-loading capacity, making it easier to use in ports with limited infrastructure.

A handymax ship is typically 150–200 m (492–656 ft) in length, though certain bulk terminal restrictions, such as those in Japan, mean that many handymax ships are just under 190 meters (623 ft) in overall length. Modern handymax and supramax designs are typically 52,000-58,000 DWT in size, have five cargo holds, and four cranes of 30 tonnes (33.1 short tons; 29.5 long tons) lifting capacity.